Which Chain Restaurants Have The Best and Worst Children’s Menu in the UK?

The Soil Association Out to Lunch league table has revealed the best and worst children’s menus at UK restaurant chains. Find out which chain restaurants have the best and worst children’s menu in the UK:

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The Out to Lunch campaign run by the Soil Association in collaboration with TV chef and campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall organises surveys of the UK’s most popular restaurant chains. They release a league table that ranks children’s food in 25 of the UK’s most popular restaurant chains.

With the help of an army of ‘secret diner’ parents, some of the UK’s biggest and most popular chains are rated on the food and service they are offer kids. Here is the 2017 League Table:

Restaurant name – Score (out of 90) – Stars (out of 5)

Jamie’s Italian – 75/90 – 4 Stars

Wetherspoons – 65/90 – 3.5 Stars

Strada – 63/90 – 3.5 Stars

Wahaca – 58/90 – 3 Stars

Beefeater – 53/90 – 3 Stars

Wagamama – 50/90 – 3 Stars

Harvester – 48/90 – 2.5 Stars

Brewers Fayre – 48/90 – 2.5 Stars

Sizzling Pub & Grill – 46/90 – 2.5 Stars

Café Rouge – 45/90 – 2.5 Stars

Carluccio’s – 45/90 – 2.5 Stars

ASK Italian – 44/90 – 2.5 Stars

Zizzi – 42/90 – 2.5 Stars

McDonald’s – 41/90 – 2.5 Stars

Pizza Express – 41/90 – 2.5 Stars

Las Iguanas – 40/90 – 2 Stars

Pizza Hut – 39/90 – 2 Stars

Hungry Horse – 38/90 – 2 Stars

Frankie & Benny’s – 37/90 – 2 Stars

Giraffe – 35/90 – 2 Stars

Nando’s – 35/90 – 2 Stars

KFC – 32/90 – 2 stars

TGI Fridays – 30/90 – 1.5 stars

Prezzo – 28/90 – 1.5 stars

Burger King – 22/90 – 1 star

Since the last league table in 2015, several chains have significantly improved their children’s menu. 13 chains are now serving a portion of veg or salad with every meal (up from 6 chains in 2013) and 12 chains that include organic ingredients on the menu (up from 4 chains in 2013).

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who is filming a new BBC One series on obesity has been urging chains to take action to offer puddings and drinks in a healthier portion size and to include calorie information on the menu.

In response, Pizza Hut and TGI Fridays have committed to discontinuing free refills of sugary drinks throughout their restaurants by March 2018; both chains have also committed to including calorie information on the children’s menu. Harvester, Café Rouge and TGI Fridays have committed to offering puddings in a healthier portion size by March 2018.

The Out to Lunch Campaign

The Out to Lunch campaign calls on all high street restaurants, pubs and cafés to take seven simple steps to improve the service and food they offer children:

Serve two portions of veg with every child’s meal

Ensure children’s puddings are an appropriate portion size

Make water freely available and stop promoting sugary drinks to children

Offer children’s portions of adult dishes

Offer quality ingredients such as free range and organic on the children’s menu

Provide children’s cutlery as standard

Make breastfeeding mums feel welcome

Over to you now. Were the results of the Out to Lunch league table surprising to you? What’s your experience of these chain restaurants for kids’ food? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.